Revelation 3:1 - 22

7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth (physically or metaphorically), and no man shutteth (closes; fastens); and shutteth, and no man openeth. 8 I know thy works; behold, I have set before thee an open door (gate), and no man can shut it; for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship (fall down before; pay homage) before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. 10 Because thou hast kept (maintained faith; held fast) the word of my patience, I also will keep (preserve; reserve) thee from the hour of temptation (test; trial), which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon (reside; inhabit) the earth. 11 Behold, I come quickly (swiftly); hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. 12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar (column; support) in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out; and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of (descending from) heaven from my God; and I will write upon him my new name. 13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning (First Cause) of the creation of God. 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold (cool; sluggish) nor hot (boiling; zealous); I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So, then because thou art lukewarm (tepid), and neither cold nor hot, I will spew (vomit; regurgitate; gush) thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing (a false security), and knowest not that thou art wretched (calloused), and miserable (pitiable), and poor (beggarly), and blind, and naked (unclothed). 18 I counsel (advise, think and talk with) thee to buy of me gold tried (refined) in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint (apply to) thine eyes with salve (for tender eyelids), that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke (reprove; convince) and chasten (teach; instruct); be zealous, therefore, and repent.

20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock (requesting permission to enter); if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup (eat) with him, and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant (give the privilege) to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

1, 2 The fifth church to whom John writes was located in Sardis. The city of Sardis was the capital of Lydia; the very luxurious city was located about forty miles from Smyrna. It was a wealthy city which was enhanced by textile manufacturing and jewelry making. It is believed to have the distinction of minting the first coins. "Sardis is the name of one of the noblest and greatest and most storied of all the cities of the East...But Sardis was not only famous for its rich men, it was also famous for its wise men" (Criswell, p. 149). Wealthy Sardis citizens took up with mystery cults, notably with that of Sybele. Among the ruins of the city Artemis' magnificent temple of the fourth century B. C., survives in part as well as an adjacent Christian church from the fourth century A. D. (Unger, p. 970). In this city Sybele or Cybele, the sex goddess, was worshiped in the worst of sexual orgies.

To this church our Lord begins with condemnation rather than commendation; in fact, there are no words of commendation to the church as such. John writes, "These things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars. I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead." Of course the seven spirits of God surely typify the Holy Spirit, and the seven stars represent the messengers of the churches of the Revelation (1:20). The Lord knows the works of this church as he has said of other churches (2:2, 9, 13, 19). Sardis church has a name only because they are dead (nekros dead or lifeless); this is the only one of the seven churches that is told it is spiritually dead. It is dead from the standpoint of its effectiveness. "In the church...there were plans, schemes, programmes, but nothing fulfilled before God, no growth into the likeness of Christ, no enlargement of the church through the propagation of the Christ-life, no compassion for souls, no fellowship with the sufferings of Christ" (Morgan, p. 70). According to Yeager, "the fourth and fifth seal, fourth and fifth church, fourth and fifth trumpet and the first vial time have come. The Beast and the False Prophet are on the earth and exercising their demonic power (Matthew 24:15; Daniel 9:27b; II Thessalonians 2:8; Revelation 13:1 - 18)" (p. 570).

The Lord does say in verse 2, "Be watchful (gregoron from gregoreo - to be awake or vigilant), and strengthen (sterison from sterizo - to make secure; to establish) the things which remain (loipa from loipos - the rest; the residue), that are ready to die (apothanein from apothnesko - to be slain; to perish); for I have not found (eureka from eureka - discovered; ascertained) thy works perfect (pepleromena from pleroo - complete; made full) before God." The implication is that this is a call for the church to rouse out of it slumberous state, and give earnest heed to that which alone can save it from complete extinction because even these things which remain are ready to die. With man they have a reputable standing, but not before God. There may be some significance that the writer used two different words for die in verse 1 and verse 2. Both words can mean physical or spiritual death.

3 The Lord urges the church to remember what they have received and heard and to hold fast and repent. If they do not watch they will not know what hour the Lord will come upon them; if they are not watching He will come as a thief; that is, unexpectedly. Much of the material contained in this verse has been urged upon other churches of the Revelation - remember (2:5), receive, hear, hold fast (2:13), repent (2:16) and watch. To Sardis He speaks of His coming and admonishes the church to be ready for they know not the hour of His coming. In I Thessalonians 4:16 - 5:10 the Apostle Paul indicates that the watching church will not be overtaken as a thief in the night.

4 There are a few whose names have not defiled (emolunan from moluno - soiled; polluted; stained) their garments; they will walk (peripatesousin from peri + pateo - to stroll; walk around) with the Lord in white, and they will be worthy (axioi from axios - of great value; goodly). The few names represent the things that remain. They are the redeeming element in the church, provided they have encouragement and support. "To the Jew white raiment was a sign of purity and holiness and devotion to God" (Criswell, p. 156). The "soiling of their garments" is a metaphorical reference to inconsistent living and behavior.

5, 6 The overcomers shall be clothed (peribaleitai from peri + ballo - clothes cast around or arrayed) in white raiment; and the Lord will not blot (exaleipso from ek + leipho - eliminate; wipe away) his name out of the book of life, but He will confess (omologeso - acknowledge; profess) his name before (enopion - in the sight of; in the presence of) His Father and the angels. Verse 6 is a repeat of what He has said to all the churches (2:7, 11, 17, 29). The Lord emphasizes over and over the necessity of hearing what is said to the various churches. * * * * * * * * * *

7 The sixth church of the Revelation is Philadelphia (brotherly love); it is located in Lydia of Asia Minor. The city was founded by Attalus Philadelphia whose name it bore. The city was located in an earth-quake prone area and has been destroyed several times. Its name now is Ala-Sheher meaning "City of God" (Unger, p. 856). To this church our Lord manifests Himself as the Holy and True One having the key of David with power to open (anoigon from anoigo - open physically or metaphorically) and shut (kleisei from kleio - close; fasten) (doors is supplied) and no man can withstand Him. The reference to David here reminds one that our Lord was a lineal descendant of King David (Matthew 1:6; Luke 3:31); to David also was the covenant of God made (II Samuel 7:8 - 17). Our Lord was the only living man who has a legal right to sit on David's throne. Again with Philadelphia, as with Sardis, there is no commendation.

8 To this church our Lord mentions that He knows their works (as He does of every church). Furthermore, He has set before them an open door (thuran from thura - door; gate) no man can shut (close; fasten); they still have a little strength and have kept His word and has not denied His name. One is reminded of Isaiah's prophecy to Eliakim (22:22, 23), "And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. And I will fasten him like a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house." "No one came to approach the king except through Eliakim. So it is with us in Christ. There is an open door to God in our Savior and no man can shut it...always in Christ there is an open door to God, and no man can shut it. The doors of prayer and intercession are always open. 'Come boldly,' said the author of Hebrews, 'come boldly and find grace to help in time of need.' There is an open door" (Criswell, p. 161). Eliakim was put in charge with those things which more immediately concern the regulations of the palace, and as well the king's relations with his people. Through this minister access will be had to the king. He can open and shut doors of access to royal clemency or justice, and doors of royal favor, deserved or undeserved. What door our Lord meant when He wrote to the church at Philadelphia, we have no way of knowing. Is it a door of opportunity? Who knows what is in store for the church that seizes opportunities to go through doors that have been opened by our Lord?

9 Our Lord will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, those who claim to be Jews but are not and they do lie, to come and worship (proskunesousin from pros +kuneo - to fall down before; pay homage to) Him at His blessed feet. The word kuneo can also be translated "to kiss" - hence to kiss or caress in an intimatte fashion. These false professors will know that our Lord loves the church with a godly self-sacrificing love. Satan, who is accuser and adversary, may refer to this spirit of malicious opposition, taking the form, not so much of actual violence -- as themselves being under restraint in pagan communities, they would in this be held back -- as of false accusation, malicious slander (Smith, pp. 66, 67). Concerning the worship of these followers of Satan, Isaiah (60:14) gives some insight into this passage which reads, "The sons also of those who afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee, and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, the city of Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel."

10 Because the church has kept (eterasas from tereo - maintained a faith; held fast) the word of God's patience He will also keep - reserved; preserved; rescued - (the same as the preceding word) them from the hour of temptation (peirasmou from perazo - trial; test) which shall come upon the world, to try them that dwell upon (katoikountas from katoikeo - inhabit; reside on) the earth. What did the church have to keep or hold fast? They had a little power, His word, His name and His promise of return. Jesus said in John 17:15, "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil." 11 The Lord will come quickly (tachu - swiftly), the saints are admonished to hold fast so that no man will take their crown. The time of the Lord's coming seems imminent. One is reminded of Luke 21:28, "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth near." One of the crowns mentioned in James 1:12 is the Christian crown; the faithful child of God will retain his crown. With the words, "I come quickly," "the Lord does for the church at Philadelphia what He has done for the church again and again. He directs their attention to His second advent as the goal and crisis of victory. Through all the years of service the Church should ever wait for Him, hearing constantly the sound of His voice, 'I come quickly'" (Morgan, pp. 86, 87).

12, 13 Those who overcome will our Lord make a pillar (stulon from stulos - a column; a support) in the temple of His God, and he shall go no more out; and God will write the name of God, a new name, and the name of the city of the new Jerusalem which comes down (katabainousa from kata + baino - descending; being brought down) from heaven from God. "It was a magnificent custom in Philadelphia that if a magistrate, a civic servant, a benefactor or philanthropist had done some unusual thing, some noble thing, the citizens would honor him by placing a great pillar in one of their temples with his name inscribed on it" (Criswell, p. 159). The leading idea is that of the firmness, the fixedness, of the pillar in its place, so that often it stands when other parts of the building have fallen. John mentions "name" four times - the name of God showing possession; the name of the city; the name of the city of Jerusalem and new name (see 2:17). The divine name is to denote that the person belongs to God, the name of the city of God is to denote his citizenship there. Sometimes the word "name" means authority, but here it means the identification of an individual or city "He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches" (2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13).

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14 - 16 The seventh and last church in the series of seven churches is the Laodiceans. The city of Laodicea was located in Phrygia and Lydia on the banks of the Lycus and about forty miles from Ephesus, not far from Colossae. It derived its name from the wife of Antiochus II (Unger, p. 644). This church is the only church to which the Lord had nothing good to say. Our Lord identified Himself as the Amen (this word has come from the Hebrew without translation), the faithful and true witness, and the beginning (archa meaning the First Cause of the creation of God). The root word for amen means to nurse or to build up; it has come to mean sure; I approve; so might it be. The Apostle Paul refers to the church at Laodicea no less than four times in his epistle to the church at Colosse. In Colossians 2:1 - 3 he writes, "For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh,...that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Then in 4:13 he writes of Epaphras, "For I bear witness that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis." Then in 4:15, 16, Paul writes, "Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house. And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that ye also read the epistle from Laodicea." So Paul was acquainted with the church at Laodicea, and there was some kind of a connection between Laodicea and Colosse.

Possibly there is hope for the church at Laodicea. "The Laodicean condition is not, indeed, one of perfect deadness to all spiritual things; there is a feeble life, a doubtful warmth, and so far the condition may be a hopeful one. But while this comes far short of what ought to be found in souls redeemed by the blood of Christ and honored with the call to serve him, it is full of danger, because resting in these feeble indications of spiritual life, the lukewarm Christian may live and die only, 'not so far as the kingdom of God.' I would thou wert either the one or the other (cold or hot) -- says he who searches the heart...I am at the point of doing so (spewing them out of his mouth). It will be seen that the words do not express a final purpose; but imply that there is still a day of grace for the Laodicean church" (Smith, p. 72). The unique characteristic of this church was it was neither cold (psuchros - cold; inert; sluggish) nor hot (zestos - zealous; of fervor to the point of boiling), but our Lord would have hoped that it were one or the other. Since it was not, however, He would spue (emesai from emeo - to regurgitate; vomit; gush in disgust) it out of His mouth. "In the district around Laodicea and Hierapolis were hot mineral springs. As long as the water is boiling hot, one is somewhat able to get it down. But if you have ever tried to drink tepid, lukewarm mineral water, it is of all things most nauseating and ill-tasting. So our Lord uses the background of those hot mineral springs, cooled off and making the drinker sick" (Criswell, p. 168). The church seems to have been institutional in name only. In fact it was probably inhabited by the unregenerated and filled with apathy. Our Lord was disgusted with the church; their works were done haphazardly.

17, 18 The church boasted of their wealth and their need of nothing (ouden chreian echo - they had a false security); however, they were wretched (talaiporos from two words talao + poros - calloused); miserable (eleeinos - pitiable); poor (ptochos - poverty stricken; beggarly); blind and naked (gumnos - unclothed). Our Lord desires to counsel (sunbouleuo from sun + bouleuo - advise; to think or talk together) with this church. He offers gold tried (pepuromenon - refined or eliminating the dross) in the fire, that they may be rich, have white raiment for clothing to cover the shame of their nakedness; He wants to anoint (egchrisai from egchrio - to apply a salve to) their eyes with eye salve (kollourion - a preparation composed of medicine for tender eyelids) so that they may see clearly. "There was a medical center in Laodicea, and one of the things manufactured and exported, among other medicinal products, was a 'Tephra Phrygia' which was a tablet bought all over the Roman Empire. The users crushed it and put it on their eyes in order to heal any eye ailment" (Criswell, p. 170). Yeager writes, "A careful analysis of verses 17 and 18 will help the exegete to determine the spiritual state of Laodicea. Five possibilities exist: (1) all the Laodiceans are lost and none will be saved; (2) all are lost but some will be saved before the rapture; (3) all are elect but none have yet been called; (4) some are saved but backslidden; (5) they are like the Philadelphians" (p. 595). He writes that the possibility that #4 is the most likely.

19, 20 The Lord says to the church, "As many as I love, I rebuke (elegcho - to convince or reprove) and chasten (paideuo - to teach; instruct; discipline): be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup (deipneso from deipnesei - to eat) with him, and he with me." The knocking which Jesus does is continuous (present durative of krouo - to request permission to enter). Jesus seeks admittance; their attitude is most like the humanism doctrine today. "We can do it without God. We do not need to pray; we do not need to cry to God; we do not need to repent; we do not need to turn; we do not need to ask. All we need to do is just get our scientists at work, get the human energies of our great people hitched up to these great programs, and we will work out all these things ourselves. We do not need anything. We are self-sufficient and self-content" (Criswell, p. 273). Of course, the latchstring (the handle) is on the inside; man must open the door from the inside.

21, 22 To those who overcome will be given (doso from didomi - granted) the privilege to sit with our Lord in His throne just as Jesus sits down with His Father on His throne. The Lord is emphatic when He says "I" will give permission to sit on my throne. The author concludes his admonition with "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," as he has done in 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22. Doubtless this cannot be over emphasized.

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It may be well to point out the names and characteristics of the Christ as He corresponds with the churches. He is the One Who holds the seven stars in his right hand, Who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands (2:1); He is the First and Last, Who was dead, and is alive (forevermore) (2:8); He is the One Who has the sharp sword with two edges; (2:12); He is the Son of God, Who has His eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like fine bronze (2:18); He has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars (3:1); He is the holy and true One and has the keys of David Who openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth (3:7); and He is the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God (3:14).

"Only in the passages associated with the churches, seals, trumpets and vials is the count-down clock moving. In the Prologue, Epilogue and in all other passages the material is descriptive and explanatory" (p. 600).

Revelation 4:1 - 11

4 And round about the throne were four and twenty thrones, and upon the thrones I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. 5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderclaps, and voices; and there were seven lamps of fire burning (ignited; set on fire) before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.

6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like crystal; and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. 7 And the first living creature was like a lion, and the second living creature like a calf, and the third living creature was like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8 And the four living creatures had each of them six wings about him, and they were full of eyes within; and they rest (pause) not day and night, saying Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty (in the Hebrew = EL SHADDAI), who was and is, and is to come. 9 And when those living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him that is seated on the throne, who liveth forever and ever (eternally), 10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that is seated on the throne, and worship him that liveth forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 Thou are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for thou hast created (made out of nothing) all things, and for thy pleasure (will; desire) they are and were created.

1 After these things (meta tauta); that is, after John had finished writing to the churches of Asia Minor, he heard a voice and saw a door opened in heaven. He was admonished to "come up here," (anaba from anabino - arise; come hither) and the voice promised to show (deixo from deiknumi - to exhibit) him things that must be hereafter (meta tauta - things that must happen later). John is simply telling things that happened in sequence. Through the opened door into heaven John was about to see some things that would happen later. (Refer to the end of this chapter to determine that John was not a type of the Church as he was caught up into heaven).

2 Immediately (eutheos - forthwith) John was in the Spirit (an ecstatic state). Immediately John came to be (eutheos egenomen) in the Spirit. Here he is about to explain what he saw. He saw a throne set (ekeito from keimai - place) in heaven and One seated (kathemenos - to sit; occupy), see also Revelation 5:13, 7:10; 19:4. In succeeding verses John implies that God the Father or the Lord Jesus Christ (Deity) was seated on the throne. Tucker states if Romans is called the "Court Room" of the Bible, Revelation is the "Throne Room." The word "throne" is mentioned at least thirty-seven times in Revelation (p. 91).

3 The One (undoubtedly God the Father) sitting on (kathemenos - to sit; occupy) the throne looked like jasper (iaspidi from iastis - a precious stone of divers colors) and sardius (sapdio from sapdion - sard; carnelian; a flesh colored precious stone), and a rainbow was round about (kuklothen - from all sides; surrounding) the throne like an emerald (smaragdno from smaragdinos). There may have been a significance in the jasper and sardius stones mentioned here. In the stones on the breastplate of the high priest the first is the sardius and the last is the jasper possibly representing Reuben the first born and Benjamin the last of Jacob's sons (Exodus 28:17 - 21). John searches for words to describe what he saw. Whatever colors he saw must have been breath-taking in beauty; John must have gasped at the beauty. See Daniel 7:9 as he describes the "Ancient of days;" His hair was like pure wool and His throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. Some think the sardius stone was blood-red symboling divine holiness. John had never seen anything like this on the earth, hence his difficulty of explanation.

4 Around this heavenly throne were twenty-four other thrones and seated upon these twenty-four thrones were twenty-four elders (presbuterous from presbuteros - older gentlemen) clothed (peribeblemenous from peri + ballo - cast around; arrayed) in white with crowns of gold upon their heads. In Isaiah (24:23) we have a kindred setting; he used the same word in the LXX and called his subjects "ancients." Whether there is a connection or not, the Levitical priesthood was divided into twenty-four courses. Who were these twenty-four gentlemen or ancients? God's word chooses to remain silent. Yeager says, "They belong to the heavenly order of things, and that is all that anyone who does not wish to be presumptuous can say about them" (Volume XVIII, p. 10). Smith thinks the twenty-four elders were representative of the twelve heads of the tribes under the Old dispensation and the twelve apostles under the New (p. 78). It may be significant here to mention that David divided the priesthood into twenty-four courses or orders (Luke 1:5, 8, 9).

5 An astonishing display of lightnings and thunderings and voices out of the throne greeted John, as he saw seven lamps of fire burning (kaiomenai from keio - ignited; set on fire) before the throne which are the seven spirits of God (representing the seven-fold plentitude of His sovereign powers). When Moses went up the mountain to receive the Law of Israel, he writes in Exodus 19:16, "And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceedingly loud, so that all the people that were in the camp trembled."

6 In front of the throne was a sea of glass (hualine from hulinos - smooth; transparent) like crystal (krustallo from krustallos - anything congealed and transparent) and in the midst of the throne and round about were four living creatures (zoa from zoon - something living) full of eyes in front and behind. One is reminded of Ezekiel's "living creatures" in 1:5, 10; they were like men but had four faces, four wings and straight feet like the feet of a calf.

7 Each of the living creatures had different features; one was like a lion, the second was like a calf, the third had a face like a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle. One is again reminded of Ezekiel (10:14), "And every one (cherub) had four faces; the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third, the face of a lion, and the fourth, the face of an eagle." And more specifically the four living creatures of Ezekiel 1:10, "As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle." It has been suggested that the lion, ox, man and eagle represent Christ Incarnate as King, Servant, Son of Man and Son of God. Perhaps this is so but let us avoid eisegesis (Yeager, p. 14).

8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was full of eyes within, and they did not rest (anapausin from ana + pauo - to pause; refresh oneself) day or night. Their message to the Lord was Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. One is reminded of Isaiah 6:2, 3 which reads, "Above (the throne) stood the seraphim, each one had six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." Whereas in the passage in Isaiah, the seraphim call God the Lord of hosts (Jehovah Tsaboth = LORD Sabaoth), the writer of Revelation says his four creatures praised the God, the Almighty One = (El Shaddai).

9 - 11 The living creatures gave glory, honor and thanks to Jehovah God Who was seated on the throne Who lives forever and ever(eis tous aionas ton aionon - into eternity; eternally); the twenty-four elders fell down before God and worshiped Him casting their crowns down before Him saying, You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, honor and power, for You have created (ektisas from ktizo - to make out of nothing) all things and for Your pleasure (thalema - desire; will) they are and were created. Paul wrote of a time when "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God, the Father" (Philippians 2:10, 11). God the Father and God the Son are worthy of praise and worship because of creation and redemption. Colossians 1:19 and 2:9 read, "For it pleased the Father that in (Christ) should all fullness dwell...For in (Christ) dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." In the following verse our Lord is seen in His role of Redeemer and Judge.

Excursus A

John the Revelator was admonished by a voice saying, "Come up here." Those who are pre-millennialists and pre-tribulationsists say that John is a type of the church which will be raptured "caught up" into heaven before the tribulation begins. Furthermore, they base their "assumption" upon the fact that the word "church" (so prominently mentioned in chapters 2 and 3) is not mentioned after Chapter 3 and verse 22 until Chapter 22 verse 16. (To assume something Webster writes is, "to take as granted or true; suppose"). The Schofield Bible has this note on page 1356, "...as the word 'church' does not appear again in the Revelation until 22:16, the catching up of John from earth to heaven has been taken to be symbolic representation of the translation of the Church as occurring before the events of the tribulation described in chs. 6 - 19." Nowhere is John referred to as a type of the church, nor does the Bible say that the church will escape the tribulation. In fact, not until a "charismatic vision" in Port Glasgow, Scotland, 170 years ago was there any belief that Jesus would come in the air for His church and take them back to heaven with Him. A Scotland lassie by the name of Margaret Macdonald had a vision that led Edward Irving and John N. Darby to assume that the coming of the Lord would result in two different phases. One phase in which the Lord would descend from heaven and rapture all the saved and then return to heaven. The second phase of His Coming would take place seven years later (after the Great Tribulation) when Jesus would descend from heaven and come back to earth with all of His saints with Him. This doctrine was believed by Irving, Darby, W. E. Blackstone, and even R. A. Torrey and is perpetuated by the Bible Institutes to this day. Irving and Darby promoted this idea through the Plymouth Brethren denomination. Authors holding to this theory are Walter Scott, C. A. Blanchard, John F. Walvoord and J. Dwight Pentecost. In researching this writer has found that many of the ministers of the second, third and fourth centuries A. D. believed the church (the saints of God) would go through the Great Tribulation. Among them were Barnabas (40 - 100), Polycarp (70 - 167), Irenaeus (140 - 202), Tertullian (150 - 220), and Augustine (354 - 430) and many others (MacPherson, pp. 16 - 19).

What did the early Christians believe about the Second Coming? Of course Paul is one of the apostles, and in I Thessalonians 4:16, 17 he writes, "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet (apantesis) the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord." The word translated "meet" is found in Matthew 25:6 and Acts 28:15. In Matthew 25:1 - 13 the story of the ten virgins is recorded; verses 5 and 6 read, "While the bridegroom tarried, (the ten virgins) all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet (apantesin) him." The word apantesin denotes a meeting where those who go to meet the coming one return to their starting point after the meeting. The bridegroom was on the way to his wedding; did he come out to meet the virgins and return to his home, or did he proceed to the bride's home? The custom was that the bridegroom went to the home of the bride (the virgins met him), and he proceeded to the bride's home, the virgins returned to the bridegroom's home for the wedding. The other passage in Acts 28:14, 15 has Paul on his way to Rome. The passage reads, "...And so we went toward Rome. And from there, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet (apantesin) us as far as the Forum of Appius, and The Three Taverns; whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage." When the brethren met Paul, he did not turn around and go the direction from which he came; he continued on the Rome. The brethren met him and returned from whence they came. "The case for a pre-millennial post-tribulation rapture of the church rests on scriptural ground that is very solid. Compare Luke 14:14; I Corinthians 15:22; Revelation 3:10; 11:15 - 18; I Thessalonians 4:16 in comparison with Psalm 110:1, et al)...The virgins met the Bridegroom. Who turned around? Who continued on His way? (The bridegroom did). The Roman Christians met Paul on the Appian Way. Who turned around? Who continued on his way? (Paul did). The saints will meet the Lord in the air. Who will turn around? And who will continue on His way? (The Lord will)." (Yeager, Volume XI, p. 178).

There are many honest, sincere Christians who believe that the Lord's Coming is in two phases - first, in the air for His saints; secondly, to the earth with His saints; and they are to be respected, but we are obligated to interpret the Scriptures as they are written. This writer has believed in the pre-millennial pre-tribulation rapture of the saints for over 50 years but is now convinced that there is only one phase to the Second Coming in which the Lord will descend from heaven, the saints will be raptured and immediately come back to the earth to begin the millennial reign of Christ upon the earth.